Stock feed mechanism for forging machines and the like



March 11, 1969 A. R. KULL ET AL 3,431,768

STOCK FEED MECHANISM FOR FORGING MACHINES AND THE LIKE Filed July 29, 1966 Sheet m T Muss W- INVENTORS ALBERT R. KULL BY PETER RETT/G A TTORNEYS STOCK FEED MECHANISM FOR FORGING MACHINES AND THE LIKE Filed July 29, 1966 ,2 Of

Sheet March 11, 1969 A. R. KULL ET AL L mu mum M TKT 3w 3 m E E m W .3 m2 7 I HR 0 F 55 r T 1| T AP A mm. ll n m H mm g vw 8 v u A a F PI March 5 A. R. KUI L ET AL STOCK FEED MECHANISM FOR FORGING MACHINES AND THE LIKE Sheet Filed July 29, 1966 III'" INVENTORS ALBERT R. KULL PETER RETT/G A TTO RN E Y3 March 11, 1969 A. R. KULL ET AL STOCK FEED MECHANISM FOR F'ORGING MACHINES AND THE LIKE Filed July 29, 1966 Sheet j of INVENTORS ALBERT R. KULL ATTORNEYS PETER RETTIG AON m J mm .n

7 j a :5 H 0 mmazmw United States Patent 3,431,768 STOCK FEED MECHANISM FOR FORGING MACHINES AND THE LIKE Albert R. Kull, Beachwood, and Peter P. Rettig, Wicklitfe, Ohio, assignors to The Ajax Manufacturing Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed July 29, 1966, Ser. No. 568,871 US. Cl. 72419 Int. Cl. B21d 43/00; B23q /22 11 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates generally as indicated to a stock feed mechanism for forging machines and the like and more particularly to a pusher type feed mechanism for feeding elongated stock longitudinally to automatic machinery for the performance of work theron.

In the feeding of elongated stock such as bar or rod stock to automatic machinery such as forging machines, it is difliicult to feed such stock repeatedly to a fast cycling machine. The stock must oftentimes be fed to the machine over a substantial distance from a furnace, cutter, or other stock treating device which may not be precisely synchronized with the automatic machine. Heretofore, reciprocating devices have been used to push the stock longitudinally against a stock gauge at a loading station, but because of the substantial distance and the non-work performing return stroke, excessive energy, apparatus, and time is thus employed in the feeding operation. The ability quickly and accurately to feed the stock is, of course, a factor in the economic production of the machine.

It is accordingly a principal object of the present invention to provide a stock feed mechanism for automatic machinery such as forging machines wherein the stock can be moved longitudinally a substantial distance by a mechanism having a stroke substantially less than the distance the stock is moved.

Another principal object is the provision of a reciprocating stock feed mechanism utilizing successive strokes to place the stock properly in the machine.

A further object is the provision of a stock feed mechanism for forging machines and the like of simplified construction requiring less energy to place the stock in the proper position in the machine.

Another object is the provision of a stock feed mechanism for automatic machines which can be adjusted to accommodate stock of different lengths.

Yet another object is the provision of a stock feed mechanism for forging machines and the like which may have a faster return stroke than the feed stroke.

A still further object is the provision of a stock feed mechanism for forging machines which can readily synchronize the feeding of the stock to the operation of the machine.

A yet further object is the provision of a stock feed mechanism for forging machines incorporating safety features preventing damage to the tooling thereof.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention, then, comprises the features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description and the annexed drawings setting forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention, these being indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed.

In said annexed drawings:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a preferred form of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an end elevation of the stock feed mechanism shown in FIG. 1 taken substantially on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged somewhat diagrammatic plan view illustrating the successive steps in the movement of the stock obtained by the FIG. 1 embodiment;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken substantially on the line 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary detail partially in section illustrating one of the spring loaded pusher fingers of the FIG. 1 embodiment;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken substantially on the line 66 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary elevation taken substantially on the line 7-7 of FIG. 1 illustrating the excess length safety device;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary side elevation partially broken away and in section of a modification of the present invention; and

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary top plan view of the embodiment of FIG. 8.

Referring first to FIGS. 8 and 9, and more particularly to the automatic machine illustrated therein, it will be seen that both embodiments of the preset invention may be used in the feeding of elongated blanks to a forging machine of the horizontal type. The work being performed on the blanks may, for example, be the upsetting of the ends thereof to form automobile drive axles. Such automatic horizontal forging machines include a horizontally reciprocable header slide 1 carrying tooling indicated at 2 which cooperates with opposed semi-circular gripping dies 3, one set of which is movable horizontally in a direction normal to the movement of the header slide 1 carryng the tooling 2. The gripping dies 3 are thus carried by a stationary die holder 4 and a movable or reciprocable die holder 5 with the latter 'being driven through a knuckle arrangement from the main crankshaft which also drives the header die 1. The blanks S are fed axially into a top loading station 7 by the stock feed mechanism indicated generally at 8.

The stock S is pushed by the feed mechanism axially against a stop gauge 9 which may be adjustably mounted on bracket 10 on the stationary die holder 4. The loading station comprises upper extensions of the stationary and movable gripping dies and includes a leading portion 11 comprised of semi-cylindrical members having a leading pilot opening 12. The loading station 7 also includes a gripping portion 13 which is slightly spaced from the leading portion 11 and in this manner, the stock will be firmly held in the loading position when the movable gripping dies are closed. A vertically extending space 14 is provided in the dies for the accommodation of tongs or other suitable transfer mechanism which will grip the 'blanks S and transfer them downwardly through the successive work stations of the forging machine, all in conventional manner.

The elements of the forging machine are, of course, mounted in a substantial frame or casting and with the particular part shown a backstop 16 is provided for the trailing end of the workpiece or blank S. At the lower end of the work stations, the finished workpiece may then be discharged onto a discharge conveyor for movement to the left as seen in FIG. 8. The backstop 16 is secured to a backstop frame 17 bridging the throat of the machine.

The feed mechanism 8 is mounted on an elongated I- beam 20 supported at one end on pad 21 on the backstop frame 17 and at the front end on pads 22 and 23 on the table frame 24.

At the outboard end of the support beam 20, pneumatic piston-cylinder assembly 25 is supported on blocks 26 and 27 and the rod of such assembly is connected at 28 to feed carriage '29. The assembly 25 in the illustrated embodiment may have, for example, a 1 /2 bore, a 36" stroke, a 1" rod, and a cushion at the cap end.

The feed carriage 29 comprises a vertically oriented elongated plate 30 to which are journalled at each end on opposite sides sets of rollers shown generally at 31 and 32. The set 31, on the side of the plate 30 facing the viewer in FIG. 8, like the set 32, includes two top rolls 33 and 34 and a lower roll 35. Such rolls are journalled between the main carriage plate 30 and an outboard carriage plate 36. The rolls 32 are journalled between the main carriage plate 30 and an outboard carriage plate 37.

The rollers 31 ride top and bottom on rail 38 extending between stanchion 39 and stanchion 40 which are secured to opposite sides of the support beam 20. The set of rollers 32 ride top and bottom on rail 42 extending between stanchions 43 and 44 also mounted in the same manner on opposite sides of the support beam 20. The rail 42 is shown broken away in FIG. 9 for clarity of illustration. The rails 38 and 42 are thus positioned on opposite sides of the main vertical plate 30 of the carriage 29 as, of course, are the roller assemblies 31 and 32.

A pusher element 46 is secured between the outboard plate 36 and the main carriage plate 30 at the rear of the carriage and a pusher element 47 is secured between the main carriage plate 30 and the outboard plate 37 at the front of the carriage. The pusher element 46 is thus offset to the right-hand side of the plate 30 facing the machine while the element 47 is offset to the left-hand side of the plate 30, again facing the machine.

The element 47 is longitudinally aligned with the center line of the feed through and, of course, the working dies in the machine. The feed trough may comprise laterally spaced polished rods 48 and 49 positioned just beneath the path of movement of the pusher element 37. It is also noted that the pusher element 46 is slightly longitudinally above the pusher element 47 so that stock entering the feed mechanism in the direction of the arrow 50 shown in FIG. 9 from a furnace or like work-treating apparatus will drop onto slightly canted shelf 51 and come to rest against the main vertical carriage plate 30. A suitable stop may be provided at the left-hand end of the shelf 51 as seen in FIG. 8 to prevent the retraction of the carriage from dragging the stock rearwardly. When the pusher element 46 obtains its FIG. 8 position, the stock will then roll down the inclined or canted shelf against the vertical carriage plate. On the forward stroke of the carriage occasioned by the stock feed piston-cylinder assembly 25, the blank S will be pushed along the shelf onto a ramp 52 which may be inclined downwardly toward the feed trough bars 48 and 49. When the carriage retracts, again due tothe action of the stock feed piston-cylinder assembly 25, the blank on the ramp will then roll down into the feed trough as the pusher element 47 clears the rearward end thereof. The next stroke of the feed mechanism will then push the blank longitudinally into the loading station 14 seen at the right in FIG. 8.

A limit switch may be provided to signal the proper position of the blank on the shelf 51 having been received from the furnace so that the feed piston-cylinder assembly 25 will not be actuated until the stock is properly positioned. The valving for the stock feed assembly 25 may, of course, be controlled by the operational timing of the machine itself and accordingly the furnace or other stock treating mechanism need not be precisely timed with the machine. When heated stock is employed, some customers may desire to employ only every other stroke or every third stroke of the feed mechanism to avoid overheating of the dies. In any event it can be seen that a stock feed mechanism is provided utilizing a stroke considerably less than the full stroke required to move the stock axially from the furnace or other treating mechanism to the loading station of the automatic machine.

Referring now to the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated" in FIGS. 17, and more particularly to FIGS. 1, 2 and 6, the feed mechanism shown generally at 60 may be driven by means of an endless chain or like drive 61 from the main crankshaft of the machine, not shown. The chain 61 is trained about a sprocket 62 driving shaft 63 through air safety clutch 64. The shaft 63 is within the stock feed drive housing 65 and such drive is shown in detail in FIG. 6. The shaft 63 is mounted in pillow blocks 66 and 67 with the latter being on the exterior of the housing 65. Gear 68 is keyed to shaft 63 and is in mesh with gear Z9 keyed to shaft 70. Shaft 70 is mounted on pillow blocks 71 and 72 and extends through the rear of the drive housing 65. A throw arm 73 is mounted on the shaft 70 and such arm includes a T-slot 74 in which is adjustably secured a projecting follower 75 extending through slot 76 in drive arm 77. The position of the follower along the throw arm 73 may be controlled by adjusting screw 78. The lower end of the arm 77 is pivoted at 79 as seen in FIG. 2 so that rotation of the shafts 63 and 70 and thus the throw arm 73 will cause the arm 77 to oscillate about its lower pivot point 79. With the arm 73 rotating in a clockwise direction as seen in FIG. 1, the movement of the arm 77 to the right providing the feed stroke will, of course, be slower than the movement of the arm to the left providing the return stroke.

Referring now particularly to FIGS. 1 and 4, it will be seen that the upper end of the arm 77 is connected to link 80 which is in turn adjustably connected to carriage 81. As seen in FIG. 4, a pivot pin 82 extends through the top of the arm 77 through bushing 83 in the link 80 and a grease fitting 84 may be provided through the pin to lubricate the pin within the bushing. A similar grease fitting 85 may be provided to lubricate bushing 86 enclosing sleeve 87 On pin 88 projecting therethrough. The pin 88 is provided with a T-head 89 riding in T-slot 90 and an adjusting screw 91 is employed to adjust the position of the pin with respect to the carriage. The T-slot 90 is mounted in channel-shape member 92 secured to the rear of the carriage 81.

The main element of the carriage 81 is an inclined plate 93. Projecting laterally and downwardly from the inclined plate 93 are guide blocks 94 and 95 at opposite ends of the plate. These guide blocks enclose and slide along polished rods or tracks 96 and 97. As seen more clearly in FIG. 1, the upper guide rod 96 is supported by stanchions 98 and 99 While the lower rod 97 is supported by stanchions 100 and 101. The tops of the stanchions are offset as indicated in FIG. 4 and the rods are secured thereto by the clamping screws indicated generally at 102. The stanchions are secured to one side of frame 103 comprised of laterally spaced back-to-back channel members 104 and 105. The frame may extend to the front of the machine being positioned on the backstop frame 106, shown in phantom lines in FIG. 1, and on stand 107. Suitable fasteners 108 secure the stanchions to blocks 109 between the flanges of the channel 104 and fasteners 110 may be employed to secure the stanchions to the blocks 111 above the top flange of the channel 104. As indicated, slide bushings 113 may be provided in the blocks 94 and 95 so that the carriage will reciprocate freely along the guide rods. Ball or roller bushings may, of course, alternatively be provided.

As seen in FIG. 5, the bushings 113 in the block 95 at the leading end of the carriage plate 93 may actually be end-to-end bushings as indicated at 114 in FIG. 5 and such bushings may be held in place by retaining rings 115 at each end of the block 95. FIG. 5 also illustrates the spring-loaded pusher finger 117. Compression spring 118 within the finger 117 extends between the end of the bore 119 within the finger 117 and plug 120 threaded in the back end of the enlarged portion of the finger bore 121 in which the flanged end 122 of the finger is slide guided. The pusher finger 117 is eifective to move the stock through its final stroke against the stock gauge 123 shown in FIG. 1. The yieldability of the finger 117 permits the accommodation of variations in length in the stock.

At the rear of the carriage plate 93 (at the front of the machine or to the left as seen in FIG. 1) there is secured a block 125 having a forwardly projecting pusher 126 in the form of a projecting bolt and a rearwardly projecting stop plate 127. The plate 127 may be of substantial length and a better idea of the forward projection of the bolt 126 and the rearward projection of the plate 127 may be had from FIG. 3. As indicated in such figure, a lock nut 128 may be employed to hold the bolt or pusher finger 126 in its adjusted position. A second stop plate 129 extends from the underside of the block 125 at the rear of the carriage to the side of the block 95 at the front of the carriage.v

The stop plate 129 thus extends rearwardly from the block 95 and forwardly from the block 125 while the stop plate 127 extends rearwardly from the block 125.

A ramp 131 extends in an inclined manner and is provided with a longitudinally extending wear plate 132 as seen in FIG. 4. The ramp extends beneath the block 125 of the carriage during the stroke thereof and is substantially longitudinally coextensive with the entire feed mechanism 60 as seen in full lines in FIG. 1. At the forward end of the feed mechanism (to the right as seen in FIG. 1) the exit end 133 of the ramp 131 is contiguous with feed trough 134. The feed trough is on center line with the loading station shown generally at 135 in phantom lines in FIG. 1 and also, of course, the stock gauge 123. The feed trough is comprised of parallel polished rods 136 and 137 supported on bridge members 138 extending between angles 139 and 140 supported on the frame 103. The angle 139 may have a slightly taller flange as indicated at 141 than the angle 140 to act as a backstop for the stock rolling down the ramp 131.

At the exit end of the loader there may be provided a safety stock length limit switch shown generally at 142 and in detail in FIG. 7. When the stock is moved longitudinally along the trough 134 and is seated by the pressure finger 117 against the stock gauge 123, the gripping dies of the press may then open and tongs, not shown, positioned in the space 143 may then laterally shift the stock to move the same down through the successive work stations. When such stock is laterally shifted, it must clear finger 144 which is pivoted at 145 to the bracket 146. If the stock when laterally shifted should strike the finger 144 as indicated by the phantom line position 147 thereof, the upper end 148 of the finger will strike limit switch arm 149 actuating the switch shown at 150. A spring 151 surrounding rod 152 between nuts 153 and eye 154 secured to the bracket yieldingly maintains the finger 144 in its full line position shown in FIG. 7. The rod 152 is pivotally connected to the finger at 155 through the yoke illustrated.

If the limit switch is actuated, it means that the stock is overlengh and will not clear the backstop 106. The machine operation is immediately halted.

Another safety feature is in the drive clutch 64 which may be of the type illustrated in Kull US. Patent 3,183,532. An air coupling 158 is provided on the clutch to provide pressure within cylinder 159 to urge a drive member having beveled lugs thereon into driving engagement with a driven member. The lugs are so arranged that should an obstruction be encountered by the feed mechanism, the lugs will automatically disengage against the pressure of the air within the cylinder 159.

Operation, FIGS. 3 and 4 Referring now more particularly to FIG. 3, it will be seen that the stock may be fed to the stock feed mechanism from a discharge chute 160 of a furnace or like conveyor. The placement of the stock in the discharge chute 160 may be synchronized with the reciprocation of the carriage through suitable limit switches. From the chute 160, the stock is deposited on the ramp 131 when the carriage is in its forward position. When thus deposited on the ramp 131 the stock will roll down against the stop plate 127 as seen in FIG. 4. In this position the stock may be in what may be termed the number one position indicated at A in FIG. 4. In such position the blank may roll down in front of stop 161 so that as the carriage retracts, the frictional engagement between the stock and the stop plate 127 will not move the stock rearwardly.

When the carriage retracts to the full line position shown in FIG. 3, the stock in the number one or A position will now roll down the ramp to the number two or B position against the stop plate 129. In such position the stock is axially aligned with the pusher finger 126. On the next forward stroke of the carriage, the stock is then axially slid along the wear plate 132 of the ramp 131 to the position shown at C which may be termed the number three position. A stop 162 is provided at the forward end of the number three position as a precaution to prevent overtravel of the work along the ramp. As the carriage carries the stock axially from the B to the C position, another blank may be discharged from the chute 160 to roll down the ramp against the stop plate 127 in the A position. However, when using heated blanks, the operator may desire to omit every other feed stroke to conserve die life. When the carriage next retracts, the stock will then roll down the ramp 131 from the number three or C position to the number four or D position on the feed trough 134. As the carriage retracts, the stock moves from the A to the B position and/or from the C to the D position. When the carriage next moves forward, the stock in the D position will be engaged by the springloaded pusher finger 117 axially aligned therewith and the forward stroke of the carriage will shove the stock along the feed trough into the loading station and against the stock gauge 123. This may be termed the final or fifth feed position E. From the loading station 135 the stock is then gripped by the tongs to be moved downwardly through the successive work stations of the forging machine.

It will, of course, be understood that all during the feeding operation the machine is running continuously with the header slide going back and forth and the gripping dies opening and closing in proper sequence therewith. The continuous operation of the machine, of course, causes the drive arm 77 to oscilate about its pivot 79 causing the carriage 81 to reciprocate along the guide rods 96 and 97. The drive motion imparted to the arm 77 will cause the carriage to move more slowly during its forward stroke or to the right as seen in FIG. 1, than on its return stroke or to the left as seen in FIG. 1. The size of the sprocket 62 and, of course, the take-01f from the crankshaft operating the header slide and gripping dies is such as to cause the carriage to reciprocate in synchronism with the operation of the dies.

As seen in FIG. 1, the feed mechanism may be extended in length as indicated at 164 to accommodate link 80 with one of greater length.

It will also be understood that instead of using two successive strokes of the feed mechanism to move the stock into the machine, that three or more successive strokes may be employed simply by increasing the number of pusher fingers on the carriage.

It can now be seen that there is provided a stock feed mechanism for automatic machinery wherein the stock can bemoved longitudinally a substantial distance by a workpieces of increasing length simply by replacing the mechanism having a stroke which is considerably less than the distance the stock is moved. In this manner there is a conservation of both energy and machinery. Moreover, the feed mechanism of the present invention can readily be adjusted to accommodate stock of different lengths and the mechanism may readily synchronized to the operation of the machine fed.

Other modes of applying the principles of the invention may be employed, change being made as regards the details described, provided the features stated in any of the following claims or the equivalent of such be employed.

We, therefore, particularly point out and distinctly claim as our invention:

1. A stock feed mechanism for forging machines and the like comprising a reciprocating carriage, means on said carriage operative to push stock longitudinally into such machine by successive forward strokes of said carriage, said means comprising pusher fingers on said carriage longitudinally and laterally offset from each other, and means responsive to the return stroke of said carriage laterally to shift such stock from a position axially aligned with one finger to a position axially aligned with the other.

2. A stock feed mechanism as set forth in claim 1 wherein said last-mentioned means comprises an inclined ramp, and a stop plate on said carriage operative to prevent lateral movement of such stock prior to return of the carriage.

3. A stock feed mechanism as set forth in claim 1 wherein the pusher finger on the forward end of said carriage is yieldably mounted thereon to accommodate minor variations in stock length.

4. A stock feed mechanism for forging machines and the like comprising a reciprocating carriage, means on said carriage operative to push stock longitudinally into such machine by successive forward strokes of said carriage, and means operated to laterally shift such stock, such stock being moved approximately one-half the total feed stroke on each stroke of said carriage.

5. A stock feed mechanism as set forth in claim 1 including drive means operative to reciprocate said carriage in synchronism with the operation of such machine.

6. A stock feed mechanism as set forth in claim 5 wherein said drive means comprises a pneumatic pistoncylinder assembly.

7. A stock feed mechanism as set forth in claim 5 wherein said drive means comprises an oscillating arm connected to said carriage and providing a return stroke faster than the feed stroke.

8. A stock feed mechanism as set forth in claim 7 wherein said arm includes an elongated slot, a throw arm connected to said slot, and drive means for said throw arm including a pneumatic safety clutch.

9. A stock feed mechanism as set forth in claim 1 wherein said carriage comprises a vertically extending plate, rail means on opposite sides of said plate, and wheel means on opposite ends and opposite sides of said plate supporting the same thereon.

10. A stock feed mechanism as set forth in claim 1 wherein said carriage comprises an inclined plate, rail means on one side of said plate, anti-friction means on opposite ends of said carriage on the same side of said plate supporting said plate on said rail means.

11. A stock feed mechanism as set forth in claim 10 wherein said pusher fingers are pendently mounted on said plate at opposite ends thereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,674,779 4/1954 Herzog 2l4-1.5

CHARLES W. LANHAM, Primary Examiner.

E. SUTTON, Assistant Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 2l41.5; l98-221 

